[Sca-cooks] Whole to ground spice equivalents

[Randy Goldberg MD]

> I realize that there's no exact way to substitute ground for whole
> spices or vice versa. But if some of you could please give me some
> suggestions.
>
> I'm trying to suggest some substitutes for whole or ground spices,
> specifically:
> cinnamon (sticks and powder)
> galangal (dried slices and powder)
> parsley (fresh chopped and dried)
>
> Any other suggestions for equivalencies other commonly used Medieval
> spices would also be helpful for other situations.

Looking back to an earlier discussion about "what are spices and what
are herbs" - the standard rule of thumb for herbs (green things - leaves
and stems) like parsley is one-third as much dried as fresh - but note
that, unlike most herbs, dried parsley really CAN'T substitute for
fresh, it tastes totally different.

I don't think you can substitute ground for whole spices - they
generally get used so differently. Putting whole spices into something
generally gives a fairly subtle flavor, so you'd only want a tiny amount
of ground to achieve the same effect. Note on galingale - this rhizome
is very similar to ginger, and powdered ginger doesn't really substitute
for fresh at all.

Avraham